Chapter 280
Wen Yu looked at the accounts, then spent some time with Zhu Zhu, listening to her call Gu Yue “Daddy” and Hu Fei “Gu Yue.” She felt relaxed and happy.

Several times she opened her mouth, wanting to ask her what she really thought about Hu Fei, but in the end, she didn’t ask.

On the way home, she suddenly felt a weight on her heart, as if she was a little afraid to face her husband. This was not a good sign……

As soon as she got home, the servant girl was waiting at the door…… Her mother-in-law had summoned her.

Seeing Wen Yu enter, Madam Qi beckoned, “You’re back?! How’s the shop?”

“Everything is going very smoothly. Cousin’s inn will be opening in three days. I’d like to invite you to come and support us then!”

“Good! Earl Song’s venture is truly impressive. Such a large inn, and he opened it without a sound.”

“Yes! In the capital, any amount of silver can be spent. Look, Mr. Hu clearly has a large mansion in the capital, but he still lives there!” She sat beside Madam Qi.

Madam Qi patted Wen Yu’s hand, “It’s all about fate! Zhu Zhu casually saved someone, but it turned out to be a big shot. She wanted to acknowledge a godfather, but ended up reunited with her biological father. This girl has encountered nothing but good fortune!”

“Yes!” Wen Yu thought of herself in her past life……and couldn’t help but sigh.

“Ah Yu…… Mother has something she wants to talk to you about.”

“Mother, please tell me.”

“This morning, Xiao Wu came to see me……”

Wen Yu smiled but didn’t say anything.

“Ah Yu, did you know that Xiao Wu almost got engaged to Qin Lianyue?”

Wen Yu nodded slightly.

Madam Qi sighed inwardly: Thankfully she had decided to tell her the truth! If she had followed her silly son’s idea and just made up for the silver, everything would have been fine…… How could it be fine? The more you hide things, the worse they get!

Aiya, my sons, each one is silly in their own way! Why are they still making me worry after they’re married?

“He was worried that you would be angry and didn’t want me to tell you. But, Mother thought that such things should be made clear, so as not to cause greater misunderstandings in the future.”

Wen Yu didn’t speak.

“Sigh. I thought all those things were in the past……”

Seeing her mother-in-law’s sadness, Wen Yu felt a little embarrassed, “Mother……”

Madam Qi patted her hand again, “I’ll tell you everything that happened before……”

So, Madam Qi explained the circumstances under which she had sent Qi Wu away to school.

She also talked about how she entrusted Du Liu to take care of him, how many years he studied there, and when he returned.

“Xiao Wu hadn’t been at school for two years when Du Liu started talking to me about marriage. But at that time, I wasn’t willing. I said he was still young and we would talk about it when he was older. During this period, I knew that Du Liu treated Xiao Wu very well. The Qin family had a liberal family atmosphere, and the girls could study with the boys. Xiao Wu met Qin Lianyue and they became quite close……

When he was sixteen, he told me that he didn’t want to take the imperial examination route. So, the following year, he came back. It was also about the age to talk about marriage. Then that person……started to have ideas.

Unfortunately, at that time, there were no suitable young women in my relatives’ families. And that person, quietly blocked off other families who were inquiring. She often held gatherings at home, and among the guests, there were always a few who were frivolous and would wander around the garden.

After Xiao Wu came back, he was busy outside. When I asked him, he wouldn’t say anything. Sometimes he would leave without a word, and I wouldn’t know when he would return.

He’s organized in his work, but he’s also a bit simple. I was afraid that if I didn’t keep an eye on him, he would run into those frivolous people. If they schemed against him, how could he explain himself? In that urgent situation, the Qin family was someone we knew well.”

Wen Yu smiled inwardly, it was probably Qi Wu’s request too, right?! Hmph……

“I took Xiao Wu back to our hometown with the intention of arranging this marriage. But when we got there, we found out that Qin Lianyue was already engaged to the Jiang family. That really caught me off guard! I was so angry! I felt like fate was playing a trick on me!

Qin Lianyue’s mother came to me, wanting to explain, wanting to mend the relationship, but I ignored her. But I was afraid that if we just went back to the capital, the marriage would definitely fall into that person’s hands! That’s why I hurriedly looked for someone for Xiao Wu locally. I saw many, but none were truly satisfactory, until…… I met you!”

Madam Qi looked at Wen Yu tenderly, “Ah Yu, you could say that I fell in love with you at first sight. Not to mention, you were Yuanyuan’s savior. So, I took the initiative to contact the Wen family and personally proposed marriage to your grandmother.

Although there were some twists and turns, thankfully, Heaven has eyes, and good things eventually come to fruition. In a way, my luck isn’t too bad either. In the end, I got such a good daughter-in-law. Mother has been very happy this past while……”

How could Wen Yu not be moved? “Mother, Wen Yu is even luckier to have met you!”

Tears welled up in the eyes of both mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.

Madam Qi’s face darkened again, “I just didn’t expect that after the Qin family broke off the engagement, they would have the nerve to come and pester us again! Sigh…… When Xiao Wu was studying, I was worried that he would be living under someone else’s roof, so I gave him a lot of money and things. Who would have thought that the descendants of the great scholar Qin would be so shameless, they swindled it all away! Hehe…… She’s truly shameless!”

✿✿✿

Wen Yu, however, was thinking: If Qi Wu hadn’t given her the opportunity, could she have swindled it all away!?

It seems that when something goes wrong, it’s not their son’s fault, it’s everyone else’s fault! Are all mothers in the world the same!?

“After learning about Qin family’s engagement with the Jiang family, I told Xiao Wu to cut off all ties! Whatever belongings he had given them, what should be destroyed should be destroyed, and what should be taken back should be taken back. It’s also my fault, I didn’t even know about such a large sum of silver and valuables that weren’t returned!”

Wen Yu said calmly, “Mother, I know!”

“You know? When did you find out?” Madam Qi was shocked.

So, Wen Yu told Madam Qi about her encounter at the Heavenly Dragon Temple. “At that time, I didn’t know my husband, and I didn’t see his face. Moreover, his voice was hoarse, as if he had returned from a long journey. So, when I met my husband later, I didn’t recognize him.”

After finishing, she thought: If she had recognized him then, would all these things have happened later?

If not, what would my life be like? She couldn’t help but feel a little guilty……

This marriage was something she had planned. However, in her interactions with Qi Yang, she had fallen in love with him. That’s why she felt hurt and angry now.

If she had stuck to her original intention, she would have actually achieved much more than she had dared to hope for. Suddenly, she didn’t feel so hurt and angry anymore, just a little regretful……

Madam Qi smiled wryly, “This is truly a case of truth being stranger than fiction!”

“Mother! To be honest, that Qin Lianyue does have some tricks up her sleeve. Just that day, from what I heard: She made it clear that her engagement to the Jiang family was out of necessity and that she still had deep feelings for my husband. She also said she would return all the silver and valuables. But in that situation, it would be very difficult for someone like my husband to reach out and take those things back.”

“Hmph! She learned all those tricks from her mother. I thought she would have changed for the better after marrying into the Qin family!”

“Mother, yesterday, I didn’t eavesdrop. Qin Lianyue came to me on her own accord.”

“She came to you? What for?”

“She mentioned that you and her mother are relatives, and that she and my husband were childhood sweethearts. The key point was that she said my husband treated her very well…… Making kites for her in spring, making fans in summer, catching fireflies in autumn, and something in winter…… After she said that, I realized that my husband was the person who met her at the Heavenly Dragon Temple!”

“I spit! She’s truly gone mad!” Madam Qi’s face flushed with anger, “It’s true that Xiao Wu gave her some silver and valuables. There were also some…… snacks and trinkets he brought back for her and her sisters from outside.

As for making kites and fans, that’s utter nonsense! Xiao Wu had a lot of schoolwork! Apart from attending classes with the Qin family, he also had to practice martial arts. In his free time, he also had to go out to practice horseback riding and polo. Where would he find the time to make those things for her!? That shameless bitch, the next time I see her, I’ll tear her mouth apart!”

Wen Yu smiled inwardly. Instigation, who wouldn’t know how to do it?

“Mother, she’s clearly not thinking straight. They’re both married now, especially…… She even schemed for a better marriage and took silver and valuables she shouldn’t have. Honestly, she should be hiding from us! Why would she expose her own scandals and reopen old wounds? Isn’t she afraid that I would grab her and beat her up on the spot?”

Madam Qi imagined the scene and laughed, “She deserves it!”

“If I wasn’t worried about losing face for us, I really would have slapped her!” Wen Yu was also furious.

“Her mother was always scheming when she was young, even the smallest things, she had to go about them in a roundabout way. As for why Qin Lianyue is doing this…… I guess her life isn’t going well. Madam Jiang has taken in two proper concubines for her husband. One of them is even pregnant! They’re going to snatch away her chance to have the first child!”

Wen Yu frowned slightly, “I heard that the eldest son of the Jiang family is in poor health?”

“Yes! The eldest son’s wife is Madam Jiang’s niece. The aunt and niece are very close! Especially the niece, knowing that the eldest young master Jiang is in poor health, she still resolutely married him. Madam Jiang loves her even more. Although she treats Jiang Er well too, she truly favors the eldest son. To be in such a hurry to take in concubines……”

“You mean, if they give birth to a son, he will be adopted by the eldest branch?”

“Exactly! That’s what Madam Jiang is planning! Otherwise, would she have agreed to the marriage between Jiang Er and Qin Lianyue? Qin Lianyue’s dream of becoming the Duchess of Jingguo is shattered!”

Both mother-in-law and daughter-in-law sneered at the same time.

“But Mother…… Qin Lianyue’s feelings for my husband were quite deep. She only chose the Jiang family because she was momentarily blinded by power and status. Judging by her words and actions, she’s quite self-righteous. I’m afraid she thinks…… My husband, having lost her, is only fit to be heartbroken and lost in a corner, pining for her for the rest of his life!”

Madam Qi was a little surprised, but after thinking about it carefully, she nodded repeatedly. Although it seemed far-fetched, she might really think that way!

“But my husband turned around and got engaged to me, without showing any sign of heartbreak. A polo match made my husband the talk of the town in the capital. My talent and looks are only superior to Qin Lianyue’s!” Wen Yu said with a disdainful look, “Coupled with your affection for me, I’m afraid there are a lot of rumors going around.

How could she accept that my husband has already forgotten her? How could she admit her own failure? So, she came to me, to provoke and show off. She wants to ruin my husband’s good life. If, as you said, her dreams are shattered in the future, how could she bear it? She’ll definitely go crazy……”

“Could it be as the Crown Prince suggested…… Kill her?!” Madam Qi murmured, her expression gradually turning resolute.

Wen Yu’s eyes lit up: Hmm. After knowing the Crown Prince for so long, he finally said something sensible.

“Not necessarily kill her, but we can’t let her run around causing trouble!” Wen Yu said coldly.